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In the last chapter we covered the growth and harvest of the reality of the kingdom. In this chapter we will cover the growth and harvest of the appearance of the kingdom. The appearance of the kingdom is mainly revealed in Matthew 13 in three parables: the parable of the tares, the parable of the mustard herb becoming a great tree, and the parable of the leaven. These parables cover three very negative things.
First, we need to see some of the verses concerning the tares, the false Christians. These are the Christians in name only, the nominal Christians. Today there are very many nominal Christians. However, some people are indifferent, considering that it does not make much difference whether Christians are real or false. This is very serious. Actually, to be a false Christian is even worse than to be a person without the name of a Christian. As we have seen in a previous chapter, when the Lord Jesus comes back, the first group of people He will deal with in a severe way will be the false Christians. The Lord Jesus will send His angels to bind the tares into bundles and to throw all of them into the lake of fire. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the lake of fire, and the fact that the false believers will also be thrown alive into the lake of fire shows how serious a matter it is. The Lord Jesus clearly said He would bind them into bundles and throw them into the fire, which means the lake of fire. Today many pastors and ministers are indifferent as to whether their members are real Christians or false ones. As long as they have a good membership, a good crowd, and good attendance, and as long as the money is coming in, they are satisfied. But we must come to the Word of God to see how serious it is to be a false Christian.
Acts 20:29-30 says, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. And from among you yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverted things to draw away the disciples after them.” Do you think that these are real believers or false ones? The Bible says that they are wolves. Even in the first century during the time of the apostle Paul, he told the elders of the church in Ephesus that some fierce wolves would come in among the church, not sparing the flock. He said that some of these would even rise up from among them to speak perverted things to draw away disciples after them. Surely these are tares.
Romans 16:17-18 says, “Now I exhort you, brothers, to mark those who make divisions and causes of stumbling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them. For such men do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own stomach, and through smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.” Do not consider that all Christians are sheep; some are wolves. These verses tell us that we need to keep a watchful eye on those who make divisions and causes of stumbling. By smooth words and flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the simple. Can you believe that these are real Christians? Surely, they must be the tares. They are false, and they deceive others for the sake of their own stomach. They do not serve the Lord; they serve their own stomach. Their god is their stomach.
Let us also read 2 Corinthians 11:13-15: “Such ones are false apostles, deceitful workers, transfiguring themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself transfigures himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if also his ministers transfigure themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works.” These verses say that there are some false apostles. Surely they are tares, and they are ministers of the enemy, Satan. Some ministers today are not ministers of God but ministers of the enemy. The word transfiguring in verse 13 means “fashioning.” They fashion themselves into the apostles of Christ. It is not a real transfiguration but an outward fashioning.
The last part of 2 Corinthians 11:26 says, “In dangers among false brothers.” This verse shows that false brothers became a peril to the apostle Paul, and he suffered because of them. Truly, if we have false brothers in the church, they will really be a kind of suffering and a real peril to us.
Galatians 2:4-5 also develops this matter of the tares: “And this, because of the false brothers, brought in secretly, who stole in to spy out our freedom which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into slavery. To them we yielded with the subjection demanded not even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.” The false brothers stole in secretly like a snake in order to damage and poison.
Paul mentions the same kind of thing in Philippians: “Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the concision” (3:2). Who are the dogs mentioned here? They are false preachers. In the name of Christ they preached something concerning the circumcision. This means they were dogs, false Christians. Philippians 3:18-19 goes on to say, “For many walk, of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ, whose end is destruction, whose god is their stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, who set their minds on earthly things.” These also are false ones. They are enemies of the cross of Christ, and their god is their stomach. All these kinds of people are tares.
First Timothy 1:19-20 says, “Holding faith and a good conscience, concerning which some, thrusting these away, have become shipwrecked regarding the faith; of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may be disciplined not to blaspheme.” Do you think that Hymenaeus and Alexander were real Christians? Even the Bible indicates that they were evil ones. No doubt they were terrible tares.
Second Timothy 4:14-15 mentions Alexander the coppersmith again: “Alexander the coppersmith did many evil things to me; the Lord will recompense him according to his works. You also guard against him, for he greatly opposed our words.” Evil things here means damage — Alexander did Paul much damage.
Now let us read Hebrews 12:15: “Looking carefully lest anyone fall away from the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and through this many be defiled.” The root of bitterness here indicates some persons who may spring up to trouble and defile you. They will become persons of bitterness. No doubt these are the false ones.
“There arose also false prophets among the people, as also among you there will be false teachers, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their licentiousness, because of whom the way of the truth will be reviled. And in covetousness, with fabricated words, they will make merchandise of you, for whom the judgment of old is not idle, and their destruction does not slumber” (2 Pet. 2:1-3). This is really terrible! Surely these were the false Christians, the tares.
From the same chapter we read verse 15: “Forsaking the straight way, they have gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness.” Then verses 17 through 22 say, “These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm, for whom the gloom of darkness is kept. For uttering great swelling words of vanity, they entice by lusts of the flesh, with licentiousness, those who are barely escaping from them who live in error; promising freedom to them, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom anyone has been defeated, by this one he has been enslaved. For if, having escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but having again been entangled in these, they are defeated, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than, knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb: The dog has turned to its own vomit, and the washed sow to wallowing in the mud.” Here are unclean and dirty things: dogs and swine. What awful, terrible, and ugly terms are used to describe these kinds of false Christians: the wolves, the dogs, and the swine. These three awful things are tares among the Christians. The wolf is so damaging, and the dogs and swine are so dirty.
The tares are further developed in 1 John 2:18-19: “Young children, it is the last hour; and even as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come; whereby we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us; but they went out that they might be manifested that they all are not of us.” These are the people who are against Christ, so they are called antichrist. There is not only the Antichrist in the future but also some little ones who were there already. Because they went out and did not remain with the early church, it proves they were the false ones, the tares. First John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but prove the spirits whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” If there were many false prophets in the early days, how about today? Do you believe that today there are no false prophets? Surely there are more false prophets now than in the first century.
Now let us read 2 John 7: “Many deceivers went out into the world, those who do not confess Jesus Christ coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist.” Such persons did not confess that the Lord Jesus was God incarnated to be a man. Today there are also persons just like this. Verses 9 through 11 continue: “Everyone who goes beyond and does not abide in the teaching of Christ does not have God; he who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice! For he who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works.” Today some go beyond, not abiding in the teaching of Christ. This means they do not believe that the Lord Jesus is God, that He died on the cross for our redemption, that He was resurrected, and that today He is in the heavens. And, of course, they do not believe that He will come again a second time. This is very serious, and because they have gone so far, we are told that we should not receive them into our houses to eat with them and even that we should not greet them. This is quite serious before the Lord. We should not be indifferent concerning such people.
The book of Jude also develops the seed of the tares. Verse 4 says, “Certain men have crept in unnoticed, who of old have been written of beforehand for this judgment, ungodly men, perverting the grace of our God into licentiousness and denying our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” Here the word crept is used. Certain men crept in. Today it is the same. Some creep into the church life with the intention of damaging the church. Surely these are the false ones.
Then let us continue in Jude with verses 8 through 16: “Nevertheless in like manner these dreamers also defile the flesh and despise lordship and revile dignities. But Michael the archangel, when he contended with the devil and disputed concerning the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a reviling judgment against him but said, The Lord rebuke you. But these revile the things that they do not know; and the things that they understand naturally, like animals without reason, in these they are being corrupted. Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain and have rushed out in the error of Balaam for reward and have perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the hidden reefs in your love feasts, feasting together with you without fear, shepherding themselves; waterless clouds being carried off by winds; autumn trees without fruit, having died twice, rooted up; wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shames; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness is kept for eternity. And Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied also of these, saying, Behold, the Lord came with myriads of His saints to execute judgment against all and to convict all the ungodly concerning all their ungodly works which they have done in ungodliness, and concerning all the hard things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. These are murmurers, complainers, going on according to their own lusts; and their mouth speaks great swelling things, flattering persons for the sake of advantage.” Surely all these are tares, and according to the prophecy of Enoch, the Lord will first deal with them.
Then continuing with verses 17 through 19: “But you, beloved, remember the words spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they said to you, In the last time there will be mockers, going on according to their own lusts for ungodliness. These are those who make divisions, soulish, having no spirit.” Again these are the false ones.
Now let us read Revelation 2:2b: “You have tried those who call themselves apostles and are not, and have found them to be false.” Have you ever realized that there are so many verses in the New Testament concerning the tares? There are not only verses concerning laymen as tares but also clergy as tares. In fact, most of the tares mentioned in these books are in the clerical class, the ministers. They are not the ministers of God but ministers of Satan. In the Lord’s recovery we must be on the alert against this kind of falsehood. I do hope that the leading brothers in all the churches will read and pray-read these verses into them until they realize the facts concerning the false teachers, prophets, and ministers. Could you imagine that some false ones would even claim to be apostles? All these verses concern the situation in the early church at the time of the apostles. But today surely the situation is even worse.
Although we will read only a few verses concerning the development of the great tree, they are all very, very significant. First, we need to read Revelation 2:12-13: “To the messenger of the church in Pergamos write: These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword: I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name and have not denied My faith, even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.” Although these two verses do not mention the great tree, they do have the word Pergamos, which means “a fortified tower.” Actually, Pergamos has two meanings: one is “a fortified tower,” and the other is “marriage.” Literally, it means “marriage,” and symbolically, it means “a fortified tower.” These two meanings are very significant. According to church history, the church in Pergamos represents the state of the church beginning in the fourth century. At the beginning of the fourth century, A.D. 313, Constantine, the emperor of the Roman Empire, embraced Christianity as his religion, causing the church to become very great. By the marriage of the Roman Empire with the church, the church increased greatly in both numbers and popularity. Before that time, Satan had persecuted the church, but the way of persecution accomplished nothing. Eventually, Satan realized his tactic was ineffective. The more he persecuted the church, the more he was defeated. So he subtly changed his tactics from persecuting to welcoming. Constantine welcomed Christianity into the Roman Empire. The persecuted church became a welcomed church. The result was that many, many unbelievers were baptized into Christianity, causing Christianity to become a great tree full of false ones. Formerly, it was a mustard herb, small and good for food. From A.D. 313 it became a great tree containing many evil things, evil persons, and even evil spirits. Many evil things come to lodge in the branches of the great tree.
The harvest of the seed of the great tree is in Revelation 18:2: “And He cried with a strong voice, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the Great! And she has become a dwelling place of demons and a hold of every unclean spirit and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird.” It is very meaningful that the reality of the kingdom ends with a city, and the appearance of the kingdom also ends with a city. The reality of the kingdom will consummate with a holy city, the New Jerusalem, but the appearance of the kingdom will consummate with a great city, Babylon the Great. Although the New Jerusalem is not small, the Bible does not call it the great city. The New Jerusalem is the holy city, not the great city (21:10). God does not care for something great; He cares for something holy. The church should not be great but holy. We are the holy church, not the great church. The New Jerusalem is God’s building, and the great Babylon is the enemy Satan’s building. The great tree in Matthew 13 will be fully developed into that great city, Babylon, which is full of leaven, pollution, corruption, and all kinds of evil things.
Now we need to see the evil things that are contained within the great Babylon. These things may be considered as leaven. First, we need to read Acts 5:1-11: “A certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property and put aside for himself some of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it. And he brought some part of it and laid it at the feet of the apostles. But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to deceive the Holy Spirit and to put aside for yourself some of the proceeds of the land? While it remained, was it not your own? And when it was sold, was it not under your authority? Why is it that you have contrived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God. And when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and expired; and great fear came upon all those who heard this. And the young men arose and wrapped him up; and carrying him out, they buried him. And it happened that after an interval of about three hours, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. And Peter answered her, Tell me whether you have sold the land for this much? And she said, Yes, for this much. And Peter said to her, Why is it that it was agreed between you two to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out. And she fell down instantly at his feet and expired. And the young men came in and found her dead; and carrying her out, they buried her with her husband. And great fear came upon the whole church and upon all those who heard these things.”
We may say that this is the first record of leaven creeping into the church life. What kind of leaven was this? This leaven may be considered as hypocrisy, falsehood, or simply a kind of showing off. They did something to make a show. Although they were not that consecrated, they made a pretense of consecration. This is the first leaven that Satan attempted to put into the church life. This account shows us that in the church life we must be pure. We must be in the reality of the kingdom, and we must be pure in our doing good. If we would do good, we should not blow a trumpet or make a show. It is better for us to hide ourselves when we do good. We should not pretend. We should not seek after vainglory. We all must be careful today. Especially with the matter of money, there is a great temptation. Either we would not give at all, or we would give in a way to seek glory. That is leaven. We must be careful. All the leading brothers must be alert to keep the door shut against this kind of thing. Sometimes when people donate something to the church, they have an attitude of seeking vainglory. This is the first leaven that crept into the church life.
Another account of leaven creeping into the church is found in Acts 8:18-23: “When Simon saw that through the laying on of the hands of the apostles the Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying, Give me also this authority that on whomever I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter said to him, May your silver go with you into destruction, because you thought that you would acquire the gift of God through money. You have no part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not straight before God. Repent therefore from this wickedness of yours and beseech the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you; for I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of unrighteousness.” For Simon to consider that the gift of God could be purchased with money indicated that his heart was not right. This too was a kind of leaven, related not only to money but also to pride. Simon wanted to be able to lay his hands on people for them to receive the Holy Spirit. He wanted to be somebody. This kind of leaven is very subtle, and it is within us all.
Acts 15:1 reads, “Certain men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” To teach in this way is a kind of leaven. It is the leaven of a wrong teaching. On the one hand, we do not care that much for the doctrines, but on the other hand, we must be alert that no improper doctrines could come in to damage the church life.
In 1 Corinthians 5:1-2 more leaven is mentioned: “It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication that does not even occur among the Gentiles, that someone has his stepmother. And you are puffed up? And have you not rather mourned, that the one who has done this deed might be removed from your midst?” Then verses 6 through 8 say, “Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, even as you are unleavened; for our Passover, Christ, also has been sacrificed. So then let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Verses 11 through 13 continue: “Now I have written to you not to mingle with anyone who is called a brother, if he is a fornicator or a covetous man or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or a rapacious man, with such a one not even to eat. For what have I to do with judging those who are outside the church? Do you not judge those who are within the church? But those who are outside, God will judge. Remove the evil man from among yourselves.” We must realize that the Lord will never allow this kind of wicked person to stay in the church life. They must be put away. In a sense, they must be chased away, even excommunicated. Thus, we can see that there are two kinds of persons with whom we should not fellowship. First are the antichrists like those mentioned in 2 John, who have gone beyond and do not abide in the teaching of Christ. The antichrists do not believe that Christ is God or that Christ is the Son of God. They do not believe that Christ died on the cross to accomplish redemption, was resurrected, and today is enthroned in the heavens. These are the antichrists. We should not greet them, and we should not grant them hospitality. The second are the wicked persons who are mentioned in 1 Corinthians. We should not allow them to remain among us unless they repent, because it is an insult to the testimony of God. If we allow such wicked persons to remain in the church life, it will become dirty, polluted, and insulted, and we will lose the testimony of God. We must be alert not to receive any antichrists and not to allow any wicked persons to remain among us. The church must be clear of all these dark things.
We can see the seed of leaven developed also in Galatians 1:6-9: “I marvel that you are so quickly removing from Him who has called you in the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which is not another gospel, only there are some who trouble you and desire to pervert the gospel of Christ. But if even we or an angel out of heaven should announce to you a gospel beyond that which we have announced to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, now also I say again, If anyone announces to you a gospel beyond that which you have received, let him be accursed.” Surely that kind of gospel which was beyond the gospel that Paul preached is a kind of leaven.
Ephesians 4:14 indicates that even teachings from the Bible may become a kind of leaven if used improperly. “That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.” We must realize that a wind of teaching can corrupt the church life. It is not wise to emphasize teaching too much; if we do, we will become leavened.
Philippians 1:15a says, “Some preach Christ even because of envy and strife.” Even with the preaching of Christ, there could be some leaven. The preaching of Christ is good, but the envy and strife is a kind of leaven. Then verse 17a says, “The others announce Christ out of selfish ambition, not purely.” Here is the preaching of Christ plus rivalry as a kind of leaven.
The book of Colossians also develops the matter of the leaven. In 2:8 it says, “Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.” The philosophy of men is a kind of leaven. Colossians 2:18-19a says, “Let no one defraud you by judging you unworthy of your prize, in self-chosen lowliness and the worship of the angels, dwelling on the things which he has seen, vainly puffed up by his mind set on the flesh, and not holding the Head.” Even not holding the Head is a kind a leaven. We all must hold the Head, Christ.
Verses 20b through 23 continue: “Why, as living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances: do not handle, nor taste, nor touch, (regarding things which are all to perish when used) according to the commandments and teachings of men? Such things indeed have a reputation of wisdom in self-imposed worship and lowliness and severe treatment of the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.” The self-imposed humility, the worship of the angels, and the appearance of wisdom are a kind of leaven.
We can also see the leaven in 2 Thessalonians. In 2:2 we read, “That you be not quickly shaken in mind nor alarmed, neither by a spirit nor by word nor by a letter as if by us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come.” In the ancient times, some pretended to be authorities in speaking or writing something concerning the Lord’s coming back. This is a kind of leaven. “Let no one deceive you in any way, because it will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition” (v. 3). All the means of deceiving the Lord’s children are a kind of leaven.
Paul wrote much to Timothy concerning leaven. First Timothy 1:3-4 says, “Even as I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia, to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.” Here Paul considers different teachings, myths, and the genealogies as leaven. Then verses 6 and 7 say, “From which things some, having misaimed, have turned aside to vain talking, desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither the things that they say, nor concerning what they confidently affirm.” Desiring to be a teacher is a kind of leaven. If you teach something that you do not know, that teaching is also a kind of leaven.
Then we go to 4:1-3: “The Spirit says expressly that in later times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and teachings of demons by means of the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, of men who are branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron, who forbid marriage and command abstaining from foods, which God has created to be partaken of with thanksgiving by those who believe and have full knowledge of the truth.” Surely all these items are leaven.
In 2 Timothy 2:16-18 Paul says, “Avoid profane, vain babblings, for they will advance to more ungodliness, and their word will spread like gangrene, of whom are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth have misaimed, saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and overthrow the faith of some.” What a leaven this is! They were teaching that the resurrection had already taken place and that there would be no more resurrection. Then verse 20 says, “In a great house there are not only gold and silver vessels but also wooden and earthen; and some are unto honor, and some unto dishonor.” No doubt, the wooden and earthen vessels unto dishonor are a kind of leaven.
Now let us read 2 Timothy 3:5-9: “Having an outward form of godliness, though denying its power; from these also turn away. For of these are those who creep into houses and take captive silly women heaped with sins, who are led by various desires and are always learning yet never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth. And in the manner that Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these also oppose the truth; men corrupted in mind, disapproved concerning the faith. But they will not advance farther, for their folly will be completely manifest to all, as also the folly of those became.” Surely the corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith, are leaven. “But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (v. 13). The evil men and imposters are leaven. Then 4:3-4 says, “The time will come when they will not tolerate the healthy teaching; but according to their own lusts they will heap up to themselves teachers, having itching ears, and they will turn away their ear from the truth and will be turned aside to myths.” They will not tolerate the healthy teaching. The desire to hear some teaching is a kind of leaven. To have itching ears is a kind of leaven.
We can see more leaven in the book of Titus. In 1:10-11 it says, “There are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who overthrow whole households, teaching things for the sake of base gain, which they ought not to do.” Here unruly men and vain talkers and deceivers are mentioned. Surely these are a kind of leaven.
The leaven is further developed in the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 12:16 reads, “Lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one meal gave up his own birthright.” A profane person is leaven. Then Hebrews 13:9 reads, “Do not be carried away by various strange teachings, for it is good for the heart to be confirmed by grace, not by the food of sacrifices, by which those who walk were not profited.” Various strange teachings are surely the leaven.
Now let us read 3 John 9-10: “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not receive us. For this reason, if I come, I will bring to remembrance his works which he does, babbling against us with evil words; and not being satisfied with these, neither does he himself receive the brothers, and those intending to do so he forbids and casts out of the church.” Diotrephes was a person who was desirous for a position of preeminence in the church. Such a person is a kind of leaven in the church life.
Now we come to the harvest of the leaven in the book of Revelation. First, let us read Revelation 2:6: “This you have, that you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.” Nicolaitans refers to the clergy. The works of the Nicolaitans are the works of the clergy. Their works are a kind of leaven. Then verses 14 and 15 say, “I have a few things against you, that you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol sacrifices and to commit fornication. In the same way you also have some who hold in like manner the teaching of the Nicolaitans.” There are two kinds of teachings mentioned here: the teaching of Balaam and the teaching of the Nicolaitans. In verse 6 there were the works of the Nicolaitans, but eventually, the works became a kind of teaching. The leaven always comes into the church in this way — first by works and eventually as a kind of teaching. These teachings are a kind of leaven that corrupts the church.
Verses 20 through 24 read, “I have something against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, she who calls herself a prophetess and teaches and leads My slaves astray to commit fornication and to eat idol sacrifices. And I gave her time that she might repent, and she is not willing to repent of her fornication. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her, into great tribulation, unless they repent of her works; and her children I will kill with death; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the inward parts and the hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your works. But I say to you — the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they say — I put no other burden upon you.” These verses are a real and accurate description of the Roman Catholic Church. It has the idols, the fornication, the teachings, and the deep things of Satan. All these items are simply leaven. This woman Jezebel is the same woman in Matthew 13 who hid the leaven in the fine flour.
Then we need to read Revelation 17:4-5: “The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the unclean things of her fornication. And on her forehead there was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF THE HARLOTS AND THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” This woman held a golden cup, but within it were abominations and the unclean things of her fornication. What a leaven this is! And this leaven is hidden in a golden cup. Outwardly, it appears to have something of God. We know that gold always signifies God’s divine nature. Outwardly, there is the appearance of God, but inwardly, there is much leaven. Babylon the Great is herself a harlot and the mother of many smaller harlots.
No doubt the woman in Matthew 13 is the woman in Revelation 2 and 17. Matthew 13 says clearly that the woman took the leaven and hid it in the fine flour. Fine flour signifies the Lord Jesus as our food. Fine flour was used in making the meal offerings, which typify Christ’s humanity. The meal offering was food for both God and the priests. The meal is just Christ Himself. Christ is the fine flour for God’s satisfaction and for our satisfaction. But the Roman Catholic Church as that evil woman took leaven and put it into the fine flour. In other words, the Roman Catholic Church took many evil things and added them into the truth of Christ. For example, the birth of Christ is the truth, but the Roman Catholic Church picked up the matter of Christmas and added it to the birth of Christ. We must differentiate between the birth of Christ and Christmas. The birth of Christ is the fine flour, and Christmas is the leaven. In Matthew 1 there is the birth of Christ as the fine flour. Christmas was added as a kind of leaven.
The Roman Catholic Church has repeatedly picked up something evil, pagan, dirty, satanic, and demonic to put into the truth of Christ. It holds a golden cup that in outward appearance seems right, but many abominations and fornications are hiding within. The great Babylon is gilded with gold, precious stone, and pearls. Its appearance is somewhat like the holy city, New Jerusalem. However, the holy city is not gilded with these things; it is actually built with these precious materials. This means that the gold, precious stone, and pearls are not the substance and inward reality of the great Babylon but merely an outward covering. The New Jerusalem, the holy city, is built with these materials as its substance and inward reality. Both within and without there is the gold. But with the great Babylon there is only the appearance of gold covering the inward impurity.
In Matthew there is the seed of the leaven, in the Epistles there is the growth, and eventually in Revelation there is the harvest of the leaven. The harvest of the reality of the kingdom is a city that is pure gold throughout. The harvest of the appearance of the kingdom is also a city, but it is only gilded with gold. This means that the great Babylon is a counterfeit, false city. We must be absolute for the reality of the kingdom and have nothing to do with the appearance of the kingdom.
Which city are you in? I am afraid that you may still hold on to some leaven of the great Babylon. Please spend time to be impressed with all the different kinds of leaven. Praise the Lord that we have seen something concerning the kingdom! After reading all these chapters, can you say that you have never seen anything concerning the kingdom? Can you say that the chapters in Matthew are still a mystery to you? We have seen the reality of the kingdom, the appearance of the kingdom, and the manifestation of the kingdom. Praise the Lord for the reality and for the manifestation of the kingdom! But be alert and be careful concerning the appearance of the kingdom. We are not for the leaven but for the reality. We are not for Babylon; we are for Jerusalem. This is the pure word of the Lord, and it is so clear to us. The reality of the kingdom issues in the New Jerusalem, and the appearance of the kingdom issues in the great Babylon, the consummation of falsehood.
